Draft device for vehicles



(No Model.)

r .A. B. WEBSTER.

DRAFT DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

Patented May 27, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT B. \VEBSTER, OF MANCHESTER, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LOW & REWELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF VILTON, NEV HAMPSHIRE.

DRAFT DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,981, dated May 27, 1890.

I Application filed June 18, 1889. Serial No. 314,726. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LALBERT B. WEBSTER, of Manchester, county of Hillsborough, State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Elastic Drafts for Vehicles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide an elastic draft of novel construction adapted to be applied to the cross-bar or whififietree of a carriage or wagon, or to the shaft-iron fastened to the shafts of the said carriage or 1:5 wagon, the said elastic draft being free from metal bearings, whereby disagreeable sounds arising from the grinding of the elastic draft upon metal bearings are obviated, and whereby rattle is overcome.

In accordance with my invention the elastic draft is preferably made in two pieces or parts, which are secured to the shaft-iron when the carriage is newly fitted, or to the cross-bar or whiflletree on opposite sides of the center thereof when old work is repaired, so that they may be readily applied to cross-bars and whifflet-rees of different lengthsthat is, to the cross-bars and whifiletrees of differentsized carriages.

Each part of the elastic draft is provided with a projection preferably made detachable therefrom, which constitutes a tug-holder, to which the tug is secured, and each part has co-operating with it a non-metallic guard or stop, preferably a strap, to avoid rattle, by which the movement of the elastic draft is limited.

My invention therefore consists, essentially, in the combination, with the cross-bar, of an elastic draft composed of two independent parts or pieces, each made from a single bar of metal having one end firmly fastened andits other end free and provided with a tugholder, and a non-metallic guard or stop to prevent the forward movement of the said draft and obviate rattle, substantially as will be described.

Other features in which my invention consists will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a top or plan View of a pair of shafts and cross-bar reversed to which an elastic draft embodying my invention is secured; Fig. 2, a section and elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the elastic draft shown in Fig. 1 the cross-bar being broken out and the shaft being shown in section; Fig. 3, a modification to be referred to Fig. 4, an under side view of a portion of a cross-bar with a modified form of elastic draft attached directly to the cross-bar; Fig. 5, a top or plan view of a portion of a Whiffletree having an elastic draft embodying my invention secured to it on its front side; Fig. 6, a side elevation of the whiffietree shown in Fig. 5; Fig. '7, a similar form of elastic draft to that shown in Fig. 5, the said elastic draft being secured to thefront side of the whiffletree; and Figs. 8 and 9, modifications to be referred to, Fig. 9 being a side elevation of Fig. 8.

The shafts a, provided with the cross-bar a, may be of any usual or well-known construction. The shafts a and cross-bar a, as shown in Fig. l,have secured to them on their under side shaft-irons a each consisting of two arms 2 3, the arm 2 being bolted to the shaft a,and the arm 3 bolted or otherwise secured to the cross-bar a. The arm 3 of each shaft-iron, as shown in Fig. 1, has secured to it my improved 8o elastic draft, preferably made of a single piece or bar I) of steel, having one end inserted into a slotted box I) and firmly secured therein, as by a bolt or rivet 19 as shown in Figs.

1 and 2, or by setscrew b as shown in Fig. 3. Each bar I) is extended from near the center of the cross-bar toward a shaft a, and has preferably detachably secured to its free end a preferably-cylindrical arm b of a bar If, provided with a projection, as W, constituting a tug-holder, upon which the usual tug (not shown) is fastened. The arm b is preferably secured on the bar I) by inserting the end of the said bar in a longitudinal slot in the said arm.

To more firmly secure the elastic draft upon the crossbar or wlriftletree, the arm 3 of the shaft-iron is provided with side flanges e, (see Fig. 2,) which lap over the sides of the crossbar and prevent lateral movement of the shaft-iron and its attached elastic draft 6.

I prefer to secure the elastic draft I) to the arm 3 of the shaft-iron when the shafts of a vehicle are newly ironed; but in case of repairs the elastic draft I) may, and preferably will, be secured directly to the cross-bar, as shown in Fig. i, wherein the bar I) is secured at its end by the bolt 0 and clamped between its ends by a staple e", preferably extended through suitable holes in a metal plate 0.

Instead of securing the bar I) to the crossbar by bolt e, as shown in Fig. 4, the said bar may be inserted into a box I) on a base-plate e provided with side flanges e, the said baseplate being secured to the cross-bar by bolts or in other suitable manner.

Instead of securing the elastic draft to the cross-bar, itmay be fastened to the whiflletree 0, (shown in Figs. 5, G, and 7,) wherein in Figs. 5 and 6 the steel bar I) is made straight and is secured to the front side of the whiliietree, it having its inner end fastened by the bolt e and being fulcrumed by a clasp 6, encircling the said whiffletree.

The forward movement of the free end of the bar I), to which the tug is secured, is limited by a guard or stop preferably made as a strap (1., encircling the arm b and secured to the cross-bar, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; or it may be secured to the whiilletree, as shown in Figs. 5, (i, and 7, wherein the said strap is passed through an eye 0 on the bar 11. So, also, if desired, the bar Z) when applied to the whiilletree may be limitedinits movementby the strap (1 when secured to the cross-bar.

Bythe term cross-bar as hereinafter used in the claims I wish it to be understood as including the whiflietree.

By making the elastic draftin two partsthe same may be readily applied to cross-bars or whiilietrees of different lengths, thus enabling carriages of different sizes to be readily equipped.

In practice the elastic draft will preferably be secured to the under side of the cross-bar or whillletree.

I prefer to make the bar Z1" independent of the elastic draft 7) for simplicity of construction; but it is evident that they may be made in'one piece.

I claim 1. The combination, with the cross-bar, of an elastic draft composed of two independent parts or pieces, each made from a single bar of metal having one end firmly fastened and its other end free and provided with a tugholder, and a non-metallic guard to limit the forward movement of the said draft and obviate rattle, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the cross-bar, of an elastic draft composed of two parts or pieces secured to the said cross-bar, each part or piece being made from a single bar of steel secured at one end to the cross-bar and having its other end free, a tug-holder integral with the said steel bar, and a strap eonstituting a guard of the said steel bar, substantially as described.

The combinatioinwith ashaft-iron, of an elastic draft secured thereto and comprising a single metal bar provided withatug-h0lder, substantially as described.

at. The combination, with a shaft-iron provided with a box, of an elastic draft consisting of a single metal bar having one end secured in said box and its other end free and provided with a tug-holder integral with said bar, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a shaft-iron provided with a box, of an elastic draftconsisting of a metal bar having one end secured in said box and its other end free and provided with a tug-holder, and a non-metallic guard to limit the forward movement of the said elastic draft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT l3. WEBSTER.

Witnesses:

JAS. lI. CHURCHILL, MABEL RAY. 

